Midnight Ascending
by IncaGold27
Summary: Zero knows he's close to breaking. He has fought his transition for four years, but he's reaching his limit - the call of darkness is growing stronger. When Kaname finds him one moonless night, Zero's fate is changed forever. Eventual KxZ/ZxK
1. The Voice Of Night

_**Midnight Ascending**_

_**Pairing(s):** Yaoi eventually - KanamexZero/ZeroxKaname. Mentions of Yuuki, but only because she's important to the storyline._

_**Notes:** I wanted to try something a little different…Goes AU prior to Zero biting Yuuki for the first time. This is what could have happened if Kaname found Zero before he lost himself to the bloodlust, and decided to intervene to make very sure he was never a threat to Yuuki._

_For the original idea of ex-human binding, credit goes to the exceptional Blackened Wing._

_**Warnings:** Rated M for blood, language, suggestive themes and eventual yaoi._

* * *

Night had settled over the Academy grounds like a heavy, silent blanket. There was no moon, and the darkness was thick and velvety beyond the light of the evenly spaced lamps along the narrow path.

Staccato footsteps sounded against the cobbles, the soft glow picking out a tall, slim male in a dark uniform, advancing unsteadily down the track. A light breeze caressed the boy's face as he walked, stirring his milky mane. His mouth was set in a pained line, his brows drawn together slightly, and a small bead of sweat made its way down his cheek as tension held every muscle in his lean frame.

It was happening again.

_He was… hungry._

He paused for a moment, clutching his chest and trying to catch his breath around the hollow, greedy _ache _within. These cravings were becoming worryingly frequent in the last month, and they were getting worse. He was finding it more and more difficult not to focus on people's throats when they spoke to him, and even being around them was now a struggle. At first, he had tried eating more, and drinking more… but he'd soon given up on that – it only intensified his need for something else. The thing he loathed to think about, but which occupied his thoughts constantly lately.

_Blood._

It was the diet of monsters, the stuff of nightmares. It sickened him, yet he yearned to taste it with a fierce longing that clawed at his very soul.

He was changing. It had been inevitable ever since Shizuka's hated fangs had claimed his flesh with savage cruelty, but that did not make it any easier to accept. He'd fought the transition with every fiber of his being for the last four long, torturous years, but he knew he was losing the battle.

Any day now, he would be one of _them_… and Yuuki would be lost to him forever.

-x-X-x-

Lectures had ended a while ago, and the night class had returned to their dorm to occupy themselves however they wished until they decided to seek their rest for the daylight hours. In the largest, most sumptuous of the rooms, the pureblood president of the night class was ensconced behind his elegant desk, lost in thought.

Kaname idly rocked the white knight back and forth on the marble chessboard. The object of his contemplation was the living embodiment of this chess piece. The knight, the guardian, Yuuki's unwitting shield… Zero Kiriyu.

Of course, these days the boy was far from the pristine perfection of the exquisitely carved bit of pale marble in the pureblood's hand. Absently, Kaname sliced his finger on the sharp edge of the knight's ear, causing a small rivulet of blood to flow across the gleaming stone. That was more like it… Zero Kiriyu, the bloodied knight.

Kaname had known of the hunter's impending transition for a while; it had only surprised him that it had taken this long. He'd supposed it was Zero's hunter side and the taming spell helping him resist it, but the willpower required was impressive nonetheless. He knew though, that Zero had reached the end of the road. His stubborn defiance was now measured in days, perhaps hours.

As a pureblood, Kaname possessed many powers that other vampires did not, including the ability to sense the subtle chemical shifts in the blood of those around him. This ensured that a pureblood was always completely aware of the exact strength, current mood and level of potential threat those around them posed.

Other vampires may have been able to tell the basic power levels apart by aura, but that was an inexact measure. Kiriyu, for example, had nearly no discernible vampiric aura, it having been suppressed by the spell bound to the tattoo on his neck. The other vampires in the night class had no idea of Zero's imminent change despite the fact that they passed within a few feet of him every evening. Kaname, however, could sense the rising levels of vampire hormones pulsing through the boy's body and knew Zero would change soon.

The very thought made Kaname restless. Yuuki's blood would undoubtedly be the most tempting to Kiriyu… her becoming human had not been able to completely mask the potency of her blood. Even Kaname sometimes had trouble controlling himself around her, and the incident with Aido a few nights back had proved he was not the only one.

Earlier this evening, at the class changeover, Zero had been looking especially peaky. Kaname had grit his teeth as he passed the hunter, not wanting to let something slip and give the secret away; but he could feel the unstoppable tide of bloodlust rising within the silver-haired prefect. All through class, he had been distracted, thinking about his options.

He had mulled it over, tried thinking of many alternatives… in the end, none of them were truly viable. He would not kill the hunter, for his death would cause Yuuki too much pain. For the same reason, he would not have Zero apprehended or sent away.

It had been a most inconvenient impasse, until another idea had surfaced in Kaname's mind. It was so unthinkable that it had not been in his first list of options, but the longer he thought about it, the more perfect it appeared to be. It would make sure that Zero was not a threat, and Kaname would be able to ensure the hunter's loyalty without a shadow of doubt. The pieces of the plan began to fall into place, every detail, every forthcoming deception honed and perfected.

It was the ultimate solution, but there was only one problem – Kaname was not sure he would be able to bring himself to do it. Even now, rather than acting on it, he sat here trying to reconcile himself to the idea. In truth, he feared the consequences.

Bringing his already-healed thumb to his lips, he cleaned the remnants of the blood from it, gathering his resolve, trying to look past the small, unsavory details to see the larger picture. Yuuki needed him, so he would swallow his apprehension and his misgivings and do what needed to be done to keep her safe, as he had sworn he always would.

The chessboard soon lay abandoned. On it, a toppled white knight anointed with pure vampire blood stared at the ceiling with sightless eyes, unaware that it was a reflection of things to come.

-x-X-x-

Zero willed himself to move, put one foot in front of the other, and continued on his way. The night was making his senses hum with life, each nerve, every cell wide open to the myriad of awareness the darkness offered – and he hated it.

As if he needed yet another reminder of his impending fall.

Already, he'd started longing for the cool darkness of the night… his eyes found the sun too bright and the colours of day too garish. His body ached for sleep during the daylight hours, and then refused to shut down and rest at night. He hadn't had a proper night's sleep in ages, and it was one more thing which was wearing down his resistance.

He realized he was drenched in sweat and breathing as if he'd run a marathon. He couldn't go back into the building and risk running into Yuuki until he'd gathered himself, and the trees lining the path seemed to rustle in peaceful, quiet invitation, so he went towards them, gratefully leaning back against one of the sturdy trunks before sliding down to sit. He laid his head back, watching the sky. The stars were clearer than usual against the moonless backdrop, and he found himself almost entranced by their sparkle.

_The night really was beautiful…_

The smallest shifting of the leaves beside him was not the first sign that he had company. His senses – both hunter and vampire – had caught the intruder's unique aura a full minute before that, but he had been loath to acknowledge it and break the moment of quiet contemplation. When the expectant silence told him the vampire was not going to talk until he did, Zero settled a dark scowl on his face before speaking.

"What do you want, Kuran?"

"I find that question rather personal in nature, Kiriyu. While it is most flattering that you would express an interest in my desires…"

Zero could hear the smirk in that cultured tone, and his already shortened tether threatened to snap. He interrupted Kaname's speech by whipping out the Bloody Rose, pointing it at the pureblood's head.

"I'm not in the mood for games, vampire. Find someone else to annoy before I do something Yuuki might regret."

Kaname's tone became serious.

"Which is exactly why you will not do it, despite how much you may want to. Make no mistake Kiriyu - we are both bound by love; even though it is not for each other."

Zero made a disbelieving noise, despite the fact that deep down he was disturbingly inclined to agree. When the hell did Kuran become so insightful anyway?

Reluctantly, Zero returned the gun to its place inside his jacket. Although Kaname was annoying him, classes were over for the night and the pureblood was pretty much allowed the run of the campus by the chairman, so there was nothing Zero could do to make him leave except hope he'd get bored and wander off. It seemed there would be no such luck, however. Kaname had now leaned one shoulder lightly against the tree and looked like he had no intention of leaving anytime soon.

Zero didn't really want to admit defeat by being the one to walk away… after all, he was there first - so he laid his head back on the trunk and continued to watch the stars.

As the pureblood's scent began to fill the air around him, Zero realized it might not have been the best idea to remain. Involuntarily, his eyes closed for a second as he inhaled the fragrance. It was crisp and clean at first, like cologne; then gradually became deeper, with enthralling hints of something rich and decadent underlying it. Despite himself, his chest began to tighten again, his throat becoming dry. He knew he had to get out of there – fast. Rising, he made to leave, but Kaname caught his arm in a vice-like grip.

"It would not be wise to go near all those hapless day class students in your current condition."

Zero knew that Kaname was aware of his secret - wretchedly arrogant pureblood always found out everything - but the casual way the older vampire was throwing it in his face was pushing it.

"I'm _not_ one of your night class lackeys. _Don't_ tell me what to do."

He tried to yank his arm out of Kaname's grasp, but the slender fingers may as well have been made of steel.

"This is for your own good...and hers."

A frown creased Zero's brow even further. The pureblood was acting very strangely tonight and it was starting to grate on the hunter's last nerve. He was about to reach for the Bloody Rose with his free hand, when he suddenly found himself slammed into the tree trunk with bone-jarring force. Kaname's body pressed stiflingly close, making sure there was no room between them so Zero could go for the gun.

"How rude, Kiriyu. We had not finished talking."

Zero tried to draw breath to retort, but the air had been knocked of his lungs by the force of the blow, and Kaname's arm was across his windpipe, impairing his attempts. He brought his hands up to grab at the pureblood's wrist and elbow, trying to prise it away, but was unsuccessful. Only when spots were starting to dance in his vision did Kaname finally let him breathe.

Zero panted harshly, each lungful of much-needed air filled with Kaname's intoxicating scent, even more tempting in its nearness. The pain in his chest hit him again, hard. His vision seemed to grow exponentially sharper until he could pick out the smallest details in the pitch-black night, including the way the pureblood's throat pulsed faintly with warm, luscious blood…

Kaname caught the hunter's chin roughly between his fingers, holding his jaw while examining his eyes. Zero knew they were the swirling scarlet of bloodsucking beasts everywhere. Another pang of hunger tore into him, causing him to utter a choked gasp. The pain was moving past intense and into unbearable. Before he could stop himself, he'd raised his hands and knotted his fingers into the back of the pureblood's black shirt. Reason was fleeing in the wake of thirst; he felt like he was wrapped in a dreamy red haze, unable to really focus on anything except the thumping of Kaname's heart, the blood-filled heat of the pureblood's body everywhere it made contact with his own.

"Bloodlust." Kaname remarked casually. "You are fully a vampire now - you can no longer deny it."

Zero's hands clenched tighter into the fabric of Kaname's shirt, but in truth he had barely heard the pureblood's words. He drew his prey closer, leaning into the smooth, pale neck, mouth opening to send his tongue sliding slowly over the area, finding the largest vein. Aching fangs were only moments away from burying themselves with bloodthirsty zeal when Zero was firmly pushed back. He snarled at being denied his meal, still trying mindlessly to lunge for Kaname's throat.

Zero's hunger made him strong, but that strength was nothing to the pureblood. Kaname observed his efforts with interest. He'd never seen the usually stoic and emotionally guarded prefect this… _alive._ Zero was clawing at Kaname's shirt like a man possessed, eyes glowing eerily scarlet and fangs snapping mere inches from the older vampire's face.

Kaname knew what he had to do next, but he wasn't relishing the thought. He had hesitated because of that. He'd never allowed himself to be bitten, and looking into the blood-crazed eyes of Zero Kiriyu, he knew it was going to be an unpleasant experience. Reminding himself of what was at stake, he took a steadying breath and released his grip. Seconds later, the ex-human's fangs sank deeply into his throat, drawing blood with frenzied desperation. Kaname's composure threatened to shatter, every instinct screaming at him to fight this, but he held himself still as he was drained harshly. Once it was enough, he forced Zero to let go. The hunter's eyes were halfway between crimson and lilac, glassy and unfocused, his senses still swamped with the power contained in Kaname's blood. It was exactly the effect Kaname had been hoping for – he needed Zero passive right now.

Reaching for his pureblood powers, he began to chant the required spell. The words were in the lilting, ancient dialect of the first vampires, a language almost lost to time and unknown by all but the purebloods themselves. Kaname could feel the magic gathering, rising through his blood like frozen fire to concentrate itself in his lengthening fangs. He tried his best to control the flow, to make sure there was just enough to tie Zero to him, but not to tamper with the hunter's memories or mind. Most purebloods weren't even aware that this power could be manipulated so subtly, but Kaname was of the oldest bloodline and it felt natural to him, despite his never having used it before. He was driven by desperation – this had to work – there was no other option.

When he judged the strength of the spell to be adequate, he tilted Zero's head to the side, examining the lines of his tattoo, searching for something. _There…_ his keen eyesight found the two small scars left by Shizuka's bite. Since Kaname hadn't been the pureblood who turned Zero, the only way to bind the ex-human was to lay his marks over those of Zero's sire. The hunter would then be bound to him unless Shizuka decided to claim him back.

Zero's fuzzy awareness was gradually sharpening. Kaname was still pinning him against the tree, one hand tangled in Zero's hair, canting his head to the right and exposing the tattooed side of his neck. Panic was starting to claw its way into Zero's mind, but he couldn't find the strength to move or speak.

When sharp fangs suddenly sliced into his skin, in the exact place where Shizuka's had, he screamed. It came out as a strangled groan, his throat not working properly yet. A strange, almost electric charge seemed to jolt into the flesh around the bite, spreading a tingling numbness through him. Within seconds, Zero's world went black.

As Kaname watched the unconscious hunter, he wondered once again if he'd done the right thing. Other purebloods did this all the time… but Kaname was different. He'd always believed binding was an uncalled for and antiquated practice, and when done completely, it was unconscionably cruel. He just hoped he'd judged the spell correctly, and that it would not affect Zero's fiery temperament. He needed the binding to remain a secret, and that would be difficult if he'd accidentally turned the ex-human into a mindless puppet.

It was too late to turn back though, so there was nothing to do but wait and see.

Picking Zero up effortlessly, Kaname slipped into the embrace of the night, observed only by the cold and distant stars.


	2. The Phantom Noose

Kaname laid Zero down on the immaculately starched, freshly made bed.

They were in the moon dorms, in the room right next to Kaname's own. It had originally been planned as a guest room in case any high-profile visitors should want to stay the night, but there had never really been a need, so it had been standing empty for quite some time. Just before he'd left the dorm earlier, he had asked the servants to have it prepared, and in their usual efficient style it had been transformed from dusty and deserted to clean and comfortable in under an hour. There were even flowers on the dresser.

He had chosen to put Zero here since having the hunter right next door would enable Kaname's keen senses to keep track of him. He knew his decision to place the hunter this close would ruffle some feathers with the nobles of the night class, but of course, they would ultimately have to accept it.

He wondered how the ex-human would react to the changes his life was about to undergo. Kiriyu seemed the practical type, and Kaname doubted he would do something foolish - if only for Yuuki's sake - but it never hurt to make sure. He'd removed the Bloody Rose from Zero's posession as well; locking it away for the time being.

Retiring to a chair along one wall, the pureblood returned to his contemplation of the unconscious hunter.

Despite Kiriyu being his rival, Kaname did not particularly relish what he'd done. Binding Zero refused to sit right in Kaname's conscience; a small, nagging voice kept telling him that _nobody_ deserved such a fate. His motives may have been altruistic, but was it not said that the road to hell was paved with good intentions? Although he'd done it to protect Yuuki, he was aware that if she should find out about it, her reaction would be unthinkable. He shook his head slowly. That was not an option; he would ensure it never happened.

Zero, though… he was going to wake up soon. When he did, he would want an explanation... and Kaname wasn't sure what to say. Part of him wanted to be dismissive and cold, but his conscience was once again getting in the way of that notion.

Although he'd never bound anyone before, Kaname knew quite a bit about it. Most pureblood knowledge was passed on verbally, among families; but since Kaname hadn't had that luxury, he had perused quite a few books over the years.

In essence, binding was a spell not unlike the ex-human taming charm used by the hunters. It was far more powerful and flexible of course – the taming spell could only immobilize after all, and required direct contact, while binding allowed a pureblood unmitigated control, even at a distance.

The spell manifested physically as a kind of ethereal collar linking the ex-human's neck to the wrist of the pureblood. Known as a lariat, this psychic leash could be used to locate, summon or even punish the bound ex-human according to the whims of their master. Kaname could feel the lariat binding Zero to him as a light, tingling throb in his wrist. The sensation was only perceptible because the spell was still fresh; the feeling would fade gradually until the link would become unnoticeable unless used.

As a pureblood, Kaname would suffer no lasting physical effects. Zero, however, would not be so fortunate. The lariat would be a permanent presence around his neck, a constant reminder of his situation. Idly, Kaname wondered if it would be overly uncomfortable for the ex-human. He decided that he was rather inclined to hope not - if only because he told himself that it would attract inconvenient attention to have Zero clutching at his throat all the time for no apparent reason.

The minutes passed, fading steadily towards another hour. No stranger to silence, Kaname bided his time by going over each aspect of his plan, until – eventually – the figure on the bed began to stir.

x-X-x

The black veil of unconsciousness parted slowly, indistinct shapes and colours gradually solidifying as Zero's eyes focused. He'd been having a terrible nightmare, he knew that much, but the details were hazy. He did know it involved blood, and that was enough. Horrified, he raised his hands to his face, rubbing at it as if hoping to scrub away the afterimages of pain and fangs.

"Awake, I see."

Zero's reflexes kicked in at the unexpected voice. He bolted upright, whipping his head around to find Kuran sitting nonchalantly in a chair. _How did the pureblood always manage to catch him off guard?_

"What are you doing in my…"

Zero trailed off, realizing now that this was not his room. He could only guess it was somewhere in the moon dorms, judging by the elaborate, costly furnishings. It smelled superficially of furniture polish and starch, but under that he could detect the slightly musty tang of lingering disuse, so it can't have been Kuran's room at least. Zero's hand slid to his throat as an unfamiliar sensation caught his attention. It felt like there was something placed loosely around his neck, but his fingers could detect nothing.

Kaname suddenly spoke softly, almost as if to himself.

"So you do feel it… the lariat of binding."

_Lariat of binding? _The first hints of comprehension stirred in Zero's mind, twisting sickeningly in his stomach. That dream… had not been a dream.

He rubbed at the spot where Kaname had bitten him. It still felt raw despite being healed over. Kaname noticed the gesture, and acknowledged it with a casual remark.

"The pain of the bite will fade with time, but the lariat will remain."

Zero decided he'd had enough of cryptic purebloods and esoteric references. Ignoring Kaname, he got up and made straight for the door. He was not even three steps from where he'd started when Kaname's command cut into his senses like a knife.

"Stop."

Zero found his legs frozen in place, unable to lift his foot to take another step. The sensation of having something encircling his throat intensified. He raised his hands to grasp it, but there was nothing there. Panic surged within him, and his voice betrayed him by shaking slightly.

"W-what have you done to me?"

The pureblood's tone was level, but the words held a hint of uncertainty.

"What needed to be done, to keep Yuuki safe."

Zero fought against the force gripping his limbs, trying to get away, but it was no use.

"Let me go!"

Kaname's face was a mask, hiding the turmoil beneath. Hearing genuine _fear_ in Zero's voice… it was stirring something primal in him - something that delighted in domination and pain. It was all he could do to school himself towards calm detachment.

"I'm afraid I cannot do that, Kiriyu. You are bound to me now, and you will do as I say; whether you want to or not."

Zero's insides froze in shock. _**Bound**__ to him? Like… like some kind of __**slave**__?_

Seeing the disgust and rage beginning to simmer in Zero's eyes, Kaname felt strangely compelled to say something in his own defense.

"If it's any consolation Kiriyu, the thought hardly appeals to me either."_ At least, it shouldn't appeal to me…_

"Then release me! You sick, twisted _freak_!"

Kaname hadn't wanted to go this far, but Zero was pushing him, leaving him no choice. His eyes took on a faint scarlet glow as he flicked his wrist almost lazily, tightening the lariat until Zero's airway was closed off. Ineffectually the hunter clawed at his throat, his nails drawing blood, but making no headway against the unseen pressure.

When Kaname judged the point was made, he eased up. While the ex-human gasped, trying to get his breath back, Kaname spoke.

"As you can see, you are in no position to make demands, Kiriyu. From now on, you _will_ play by my rules; or the consequences will be severe. Are we going to reach a civilized agreement, or do I have to choke one out of you?"

"What the hell do you want from me?"

Kaname tried to ignore the side of him that whispered _'Obedience,' _gritting his teeth before listing his terms. "You will stay away from Yuuki from now on unless I'm with you. You will be joining the night class, effective immediately, and moving into this room – where I can keep an eye on you."

Zero renewed his fight against the hidden restraints holding him back. If ever there was a moment he felt like ripping Kuran's throat out, it was now.

"I would rather die than be your prisoner!"

Kaname's anger surged. This was not going well; the rising tide of guilt within him was twining with this newly emerging darkness, confusing him and fraying his temper. He yanked sharply at the lariat, bringing Zero harshly to his knees before addressing him once more.

"Yes, death would be the easy way out, wouldn't it Kiriyu? The coward's way. I thought you would have enough reason left to know what's best for Yuuki, and to do everything in your power to save her from the monster you are fast becoming. You have one more chance to accept my terms before I show you what it feels like to be a _real_ prisoner."

The intensity of Zero's glare lessened, a small spark of fear showing in his opalescent eyes. Kaname seized on it, his voice becoming silkily menacing.

"That's right; I could trap you within your own mind, strip you of every last bit of free will. I am sure Yuuki would be sad at first, but at least she would still get to see you…and of course, _I_ would be there to console her…"

A shudder chased down Zero's spine. It was the worst fate he could think of, being nothing but an empty shell on the outside while - unheard and unseen - your spirit lived on, not able to affect the outside world. He could only imagine the torment… At least right now, he had some measure of freedom; and that meant there was still hope.

Swallowing his fear, he tried to sound contemptuous.

"And if I do this? How do you plan to explain it to Yuuki?"

"Since the chairman already knows you're a vampire, he will no doubt approve of your move into the night class, and he will take care of the explanations."

"What about the other bloodsuckers?" Zero spat. "What are they supposed to think?"

"That you were transferred in the interest of furthering pacifism. They will accept what I tell them. You will not, however, let them know that you are a vampire until I deem the time is appropriate. In addition, I expect you to be discreet and restrict yourself to blood tablets like the rest of us. If I find out you're obtaining sustenance _elsewhere_, you will regret it."

Zero was incredulous; it was disturbing how thoroughly Kuran had planned out every step of ruining his life. White-hot anger seethed within him. Somehow, he always ended up being the victim of fate. He never seemed to have a _choice_ in any aspect of his life. Fixing Kuran with a withering glare, he lashed out at his tormentor with words – the only weapons he had left - not caring that the effect was somewhat spoiled by the fact that he was currently on his knees.

"I despise you, Kuran. I've always hated you for what you are; and now I hate you even more for what you've done to me."

Giving a small shrug, as if to say _that's only fair_, Kaname rose to leave. He turned back as he reached the door.

"You should know that I can track you now. Attempting to escape would be inadvisable. I suggest you sleep instead – fighting against the binding that way will have exhausted you, and there are classes to consider."

Releasing his firm hold on the ex-human, he departed.

As soon as the pureblood left the room, fatigue washed over Zero in a wave. Every muscle felt leaden, like he'd been exercising for a week. He found that he could move his legs again, but despite his reluctance to take any of Kuran's advice, he could think of nothing but the need to rest.

Shuffling back to the bed, he lay down, staring at the elaborately detailed molding on the ceiling. He ran a hand over his throat again, still unsuccessful at locating any tangible trace of the invisible collar. The lariat, as Kuran had called it, was no longer uncomfortably tight, but it irked him with its presence nonetheless.

_Kuran_… the damn pureblood thought he was so untouchable in his supremacy.

Well, Zero would play along for now, but the second that arrogant bastard turned his back, the hunter would gladly stick a knife in it.

x-X-x

Kaname shut the door with a quiet click.

What had transpired in that room had shaken him. He had started out in perfect command of the situation, but by the end of it he had been struggling to keep calm. Bringing Zero to his knees like that… it roused long-dormant instincts he thought he'd buried for good. Beneath the veneer of civility, poise and practiced restraint, Kaname was still a pureblood vampire. He considered himself better than his nature though, and it was for that very reason that he was so hard on himself for any momentary lapse in control. The recent events bothered him greatly; the rising of urges he thought he'd locked away tightly was both unsettling and frightening. It had been ages since he'd felt the duality of his nature as keenly as he did now; and that terrified him, dredging up old fears that one day he might lose it in front of Yuuki; and she, having glimpsed the evil which lay under the kind façade, would push him away for good.

He was willing to admit to himself that he may have miscalculated; it seemed binding Zero had affected him far more deeply than it should have. The books he'd read mentioned nothing of this consequence; but then again, it should not have surprised him that they didn't. For most purebloods, sadistic tendencies were a natural state of being, so they were hardly likely to classify them as a side effect.

It was a complication; but Kaname was used to those. He would just have to exercise firmer control over himself in the hunter's presence in future and refrain from using the lariat unless it was absolutely necessary. He held no doubt that he could do it - he'd be damned if he was going to let Zero Kiriyu of all people shatter his restraint and turn him into something he'd sworn he would never be.

Unbidden, the ex-human's parting words drifted through his mind.

'_I hate you even more for what you've done to me.'_

Kaname's fingers curled into a fist.

_Likewise Kiriyu, likewise._

* * *

_**A/N: **__Wow! Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed and fav'd this story! =hugs= _

_As usual there are additional ramblings about the chapter on my LJ. (Link in profile)._


	3. The Captive Knight

A persistent knocking woke Zero several hours later. He realized from the hue and angle of the light spilling across the carpet that it was late afternoon. Annoyed, he barked out a query.

"What?"

The knocking ceased, replaced by the permanently cheery voice of Takuma Ichijo.

"Kaname told me you would be joining the night class from now on. I just wanted to welcome you to the moon dorm and give you the class schedule."

Zero made no move to get up. He may have been pushed into this corner by Kuran's scheme, but he did not plan on making an effort to be polite. To his surprise, Ichijo simply continued his speech, apparently unperturbed by having to talk through a closed door.

"Speaking of which, classes start in an hour. Your new uniform isn't ready yet, so you'll have to wear your day class uniform for now. The staff have brought all your things from your old room already, they're out here… you should take them inside and get dressed. See you later!"

Zero had let the other vampire's voice wash over him, not really paying attention. A while later though, he reluctantly conceded that perhaps he should dress for class. After all, if he didn't, Kuran would probably barge in here and force him to; and that would be one humiliation too many.

Retrieving the single bag from the corridor, he glanced at the class schedule which had been placed on top. None of it was too surprising; the usual subjects were written down, along with a few that were only electives for the day class, but seemed to be an ordinary part of the curriculum for the night students. The lectures were longer too, with only one subject being covered each night. He figured that made sense since vampires lived for ages and could obviously afford to take their time.

Throwing the schedule down on the dresser, he set the bag down against one wall. He stubbornly refused to unpack it, so he merely rooted around in it until he found the requisite items of clothing.

Once he had showered and dressed, he reached to pat the side of his jacket as usual, checking that the Bloody Rose was in position. Realizing he hadn't put it there yet, he scouted the room for it, but to no avail. Recalling that the last time he'd used it had been when Kaname had attacked him, he reckoned he knew where it had gone. The thought made him scowl.

In his search of the room, he had also discovered a pitcher of water, a glass and a small, engraved box of blood tablets. His need for blood was manageable right now, but he thought he might as well make sure that he was familiar with taking the tablets before the thirst hit him in earnest.

Shaking one out of the container, he examined it. Of course, he'd seen them before; the chairman was always trying to make him drink them to ease the pangs of bloodlust, but he had never wanted to accept, afraid that even this synthetic substitute for blood might accelerate his transformation. Now, however, the worst had already happened and he had no reason to avoid them any longer. In a way, he was grateful. The tablets would allow him to control his cravings without having to hurt anyone. Putting two into a glass of water he'd poured for himself, he watched as they dissolved, scarlet ribbons slowly saturating the water in much the same way as Zero's vampire side had saturated his consciousness.

Raising the glass, he sniffed at the contents. Aside from a faint tang of electrolyzed iron, the liquid had no real scent. Tentatively, he took a sip. It was bland and cold; absolutely nothing like the searing, vibrant richness that Kuran's blood had been, but it was palatable. Without hesitation, he drained the rest, replacing the glass on the table before heading for the door.

-xXx-

In the communal area at the foot of the stairs, the night class awaited their pureblood leader. It was an unspoken point of etiquette that Kaname would always arrive later than everyone else; thus showing his superiority by making them wait. In truth, he had little use for such antique traditions, but it would have caused offence to the other vampires' propriety if he declined the privilege. This evening, he was using the spare moments to speak with Takuma. He had sent the green-eyed noble to ensure Zero made it to class on time, not trusting himself around the brooding ex-human right now.

"I did as you requested, Kaname. Although, I'm not sure whether Kiriyu was listening…"

Takuma glanced at Kaname, and the pureblood could see there was something else the noble wanted to say, but was unsure of.

"Speak freely Takuma, it's just us."

"Well…I understand why he was the best choice for this transfer, but his outlook on life in general and vampires in particular does make things a little… complicated."

Kaname's mouth quirked slightly. Takuma always had such a tactful manner of speaking.

"I know."

Kaname offered no further comment, turning away instead. Takuma – by now used to Kaname's evasiveness – dropped the subject and descended the stairs to wait with the rest of Kaname's inner circle near the bottom. The other vampires were arranged a little further out, creating a clear distinction between themselves and the small group Kaname had chosen to favour above the rest.

Once he heard Takuma's voice blending with the crowd, Kaname made his way downstairs. The talking ceased as soon as the others spotted him, and they waited quietly for him to join them. It was just like every other evening… until a certain silver-haired prefect chose that moment to appear on the first-floor gallery. The usual respectful silence gave way to hushed gasps and murmurs of dissent. Kaname raised one elegant hand, and the noise vanished as if it had never been.

"How remiss of me; it seems I forgot to mention our new classmate."

Zero had frozen in place, obviously uncomfortable with everyone's attention being on him.

"In order to further our goal of peaceful coexistence here at Cross Academy, I have decided to allow Zero to transfer to the night class. I trust you will accept my decision?"

There were scattered murmurs of "Yes, Kaname-sama," and "As you wish, Kaname-sama," from around the room. Zero's fingers tightened on the rail. Kaname's wording just now was making it sound like Zero _wanted _to be here… and that was making his blood boil. Aside from that, his stomach felt like it was turning flip-flops, churning restlessly, most likely as a result of his nerves. The pureblood turned nonchalantly towards him, the steely command in his eyes evident. He obviously expected Zero to descend the stairs now and stand among the rest of the bloodsuckers like an obedient little pet. _Yeah, right. Don't hold your breath Kuran._

Kaname's eyes flared a little at Zero's blatant attempt at defiance. Before he could think twice, he'd reached out with the lariat as naturally as if it were his arm, exerting pressure on the ex-human's throat. He watched, satisfied, as Zero's eyes first widened in shock before narrowing in disgust. It had the desired effect though, since the hunter reluctantly walked over to the staircase and came down it.

As he drew level with Kaname, it was all Zero could do to prevent himself from shoving at the pureblood. Knowing that it would be pointless to try something like that in front of Kaname's entourage, he held himself back. Reaching the foot of the stairs, he leaned casually against one of the elegantly carved posts, crossing his arms and making an audible sound of impatience.

The vampires knew of Zero's disaffected demeanour, having seen displays of it during class changes, but now that he was supposed to be considered part of them, they were unsure how to react to what was essentially a gesture of contempt towards their customs and their leader. Kaname could see the tension among them; sense the uncertainty in the air. He tugged again at the lariat, harder this time. _Insolent fool! The hunter was going to give the game away if he wasn't careful. _For a moment it looked as if Zero might resist, but eventually the ex-human straightened up, uncrossing his arms. Kaname could hear Aido muttering about impertinent prefects who needed lessons in respect.

The situation was in danger of escalating until Kaname spoke again, talking quietly but knowing every ear in the room would hear him.

"I ask all of you to remember that Kiriyu is unaccustomed to our ways."

Heads bowed in half reverence, half shame as they acknowledged the words of the pureblood. Kaname walked through the crowd, his inner circle of nobles following. He was certain he'd have to use force to make Zero move, but luckily Takuma saved him the trouble by engaging the silver-haired boy in conversation, placing a friendly but firm hand on his shoulder and steering him towards the door, ignoring the prefect's cold glare.

-xXx-

The moon dorm gates creaked open slowly. To Zero, it seemed so different to be experiencing this from the inside. It was more sinister somehow. He felt trapped; and being surrounded on every side by high-level vampires was making him queasy. His stomach shifted uneasily, and he wanted nothing more than to be on the other side of those gates as usual, helping Yuuki keep the day class girls at bay rather than being here, caught in his own worst nightmare.

As the gates swung wide, Zero saw her, doing her best to hold off the girls who were enthusiastically pushing for a better view. He watched her almost wistfully, happy that she was still the same old Yuuki, a sign that normalcy still existed somewhere. He was so intent in his focus that he didn't notice Kaname's presence until the pureblood spoke suddenly, right behind him.

"You are not excused from your prefect duties, Kiriyu."

Zero almost started in fright, but caught himself in time. He considered delivering a scathing retort, but the temptation to get away from this pack of bloodsuckers - however temporarily - was too much to resist. Hurriedly, he walked over to assist her.

"Zero! Where have you been? You've been cutting duty all this week!"

Obviously the chairman hadn't told her about his transfer yet. She hadn't seen where he'd come from, and had assumed he had just arrived here. His chest felt tight, constricted with emotion. There was so much he wanted to tell her… _I'm a vampire_… _I'm being held hostage_… _I'm not supposed to talk to you anymore…_but of course, he couldn't say any of those things. He gave her a playful punch on the shoulder instead, trying to act as he usually would. Kuran obviously took exception to the physical contact though, because the lariat tingled in warning. Resisting the urge to claw at it, Zero stepped away from Yuuki and busied himself keeping a particularly boisterous group of girls from pouncing on Aido.

As the last of the night class students filed past, Zero fell in behind them. Yuuki looked at him in puzzlement. Hating that he had to lie to her, he gave a small shrug.

"I'm in the night class now, thanks to another one of the academy's peace projects. I guess the Chairman didn't have time to tell you yet."

She blinked slowly, and then smiled.

"Hey, that's great Zero! It's really nice of you to do that, since you…well, you know, don't really get along with them."

He nodded once, turning to leave. He could feel Kuran getting agitated, but really, what did the pureblood expect? Yes, Zero had technically agreed not to talk to Yuuki, but he was supposed to make this transfer thing sound authentic right? It would be suspicious if he just suddenly took to ignoring her.

"Um… Zero?"

He glanced at her over his shoulder.

"Enjoy class, okay? And… try to be nice."

The remark was so typically Yuuki that it almost made him smile. He made a noncommittal sound instead, resuming his walk towards the school buildings.

He caught up in time to enter the classroom just behind the stragglers of the group. He'd had many lessons in this same room, but the atmosphere of it was completely different after nightfall.

There were fewer students than in Zero's normal class, so large portions of the room remained empty as the vampires arranged themselves casually into groups. He noticed that there was a temptingly isolated desk near the corner at the back, and he resolved to take it. Unfortunately, getting there required him to walk right past Kuran's group of nobles who were occupying the middle tier of seats, next to the window. The pureblood had a book open in front of him, and appeared to be studying it fixedly. The rest of them were chatting idly while waiting for the teacher to arrive. Taking advantage of their distraction, Zero quietly walked up the aisle, hoping to avoid notice. No sooner had he drawn level with Kaname's desk though than a pair of burgundy eyes fixed upon him.

"Kiriyu, why don't you sit here?"

It was more of a declaration than a question, a hint of command in it despite the polite phrasing. The chatter died immediately as the nobles turned to look. Kaname was indicating the vacant desk directly in front of his. All of them waited to see whether the prefect would accept – as he was expected to – or whether he would dare to defy Kaname's orders again. Noticing all the eyes on him, Zero reluctantly did as requested, sullenly taking the open chair. He knew that to refuse it would bring trouble from the other vampires, and while he was not averse to that idea, he knew he needed to bide his time until the right opportunity for revenge presented itself. It was unwise to start arbitrarily treading on tails in a nest of vipers.

The teacher arrived - an authoritarian-looking vampire with black hair and a goatee. Zero had already forgotten the contents of the class schedule, but the lesson was duly revealed to be mathematical in nature. Zero's math grades had always been high, he had an analytical mind and was good at spotting patterns and applying formulae, but he found it very difficult to keep up with the lecture. Not only was the coursework far more advanced than anything Zero had covered before, but he was also starting to feel distinctly unwell. His earlier queasiness was back with a vengeance, and a fine sheen of sweat was breaking out on his brow despite the coolness of the room. On top of everything else, it was highly uncomfortable to have to spend an extended length of time with Kaname sitting right behind him. Every now and again, the hairs on the back of the hunter's neck would rise, letting him know the pureblood's attention was trained on him.

As the lesson wore on, things went from bad to worse. His stomach began cramping in painful waves, and his hands were shaking. He clenched them into fists and hid them under the desk, hunching his posture slightly in an attempt to ease the ache in his gut without much success.

-xXx-

Still gazing at the book in his hands with mock interest, Kaname extended his senses again, using them to assess Zero. The hunter was acting strangely, his aura fraught with tense agitation. Suspecting that the ex-human might be planning something, Kaname remained vigilant.

Sure enough, as soon as the class was dismissed, Zero shot out of his seat, all but running for the door.

A small frown creased Kaname's brow as he watched the hunter depart. Was the boy really naïve enough to believe he could get away? Perhaps. Mouth set in a grim line, the pureblood went after him. Technically, he could have stopped the ex-human with a mere thought, but the dark, restless part of Kaname's nature was relishing the prospect of seeing the hunter's face when the lariat brought him up short.


	4. The Double edged Sword

As the pain in his midsection intensified, Zero's pace decreased to a walk. He was fairly gasping for breath now, the run having exhausted him considerably. He would have just headed for the nearest bathroom, but the night class was right behind him, and he didn't want to risk anyone seeing him like this. He felt like death warmed up as he dragged himself through the school to a more secluded set of bathrooms.

He made it inside just in time; he'd barely reached the closest basin before his stomach contracted in painful heaves, red liquid splashing onto the porcelain.

_What was wrong with him?_

He couldn't think why he was ill; he hadn't eaten anything, and all he'd had to drink were the dissolved blood tablets… _The tablets!_

It suddenly became glaringly obvious what had happened, and Zero scowled.

_Kuran._ The pureblood had outwitted him once again. Not content to ensnare and enslave him, the pureblood obviously wanted to make sure Zero suffered physical anguish as well. Zero had been unconscious for quite a while; there would have been ample opportunity for Kuran to add something to the water, or the tablets themselves. He guessed he should have expected it – after all, hadn't Master Yagari drilled into him from a young age that vampires could never be trusted? Wherever his mentor found himself these days, Zero was sure he would be appalled at the naïveté of his student. Further thought was promptly obliterated by another wave of nausea, his body ridding itself of the foreign substance as best it could.

-xXx-

Kaname left the classroom with the others, but quickly broke away from the group, following the direction the lariat told him Zero had taken. Of course, nobody questioned him, although Takuma did give him a quizzical look before falling into step behind everyone else.

The pureblood walked briskly, hoping to catch up with the ex-human before he left the campus. He was now in a long hallway, and realized Zero must have passed this way just a moment ago – his scent still lingered. _Strange._ Not only was Zero moving a lot slower than Kaname had thought, but he was also heading further into the school buildings, rather than making a break for the perimeter of the academy grounds as Kaname would have expected. Then again, that was probably exactly the reason for Zero's choice of route. He shook his head slightly.

_Fool. There is nowhere you can hide from me. _

The next turn led to another long hallway, and the scent was so fresh Kaname was slightly surprised not to see Zero in it. Checking the lariat again, he realized Zero had stopped moving, obviously having entered one of the rooms lining the passage. He ignored the first few doors, his senses leading him further on. _Ah… there you are._ He caught sight of the sign above the door, and it made him frown. He had tracked the ex-human across half the school only to find him in the _bathroom_? Perhaps he had been a little too hasty in assuming Zero was running away…

He had half a mind to stay and chastise the prefect for wasting his time, just to see his reaction, but knew that was probably his dark side talking. He turned to go – having a stack of correspondence waiting for him in his room – but a small sound caught his attention. He listened closely. There it was again… it sounded like Zero was…_ill? _

He reached for the door handle, opening it and going inside. As he walked in, he noticed Zero hunched over one of the basins on the far wall. The prefect was doubled over in obvious pain, still gagging and heaving surreptitiously, so absorbed in whatever malaise had taken hold of him that he hadn't even noticed Kaname's presence. A shaking hand reached for the tap, opening it and splashing a little of the cold water on a perspiration-drenched face. It seemed to make Zero feel slightly better, because he raised his head. Lavender eyes caught Kaname's reflection in the mirror, and the prefect spun around, glaring daggers at him.

"Come to see how your twisted little trick turned out Kuran?"

An uncomprehending look entered the pureblood's eyes.

"What?"

Zero made a disbelieving noise.

"You lie as easily as most people breathe don't you? Well, sorry to disappoint, but the show's over. Next time you might want to put something stronger in those tablets… with any luck I'll die."

Zero made to leave, still a little shaky on his feet but managing to hold himself together. Kaname caught him by the wrist.

"The tablets made you ill?"

There was a note of genuine surprise in Kuran's voice now, and Zero wondered if perhaps he'd been too hasty to blame the pureblood. Scowling to cover his uncertainty, he snatched his arm back, this time making it out the door without further harassment.

Had he looked back, he would have been stunned to find the usually impassive Kaname Kuran standing there, one arm still half-outstretched; his face a mask of blank shock.

-xXx-

After returning to the Moon Dorm, Zero had taken a quick shower to rid himself of the scent of sour bile and iron. He had lain down afterwards, hoping to fall asleep, but that had obviously been too ambitious a goal. Instead, he found himself tossing restlessly… aching and _hungry._

_Damn it all to hell… hadn't he suffered enough?_

Fate apparently thought not, his bloodlust intensifying until his fingers were curled desperately into his T-shirt against the pain in his chest, his fangs extending and his throat burning with thirst.

His fitful gaze fell on the pitcher of water still standing on the side table across the room, the box of traitorous tablets beside it, and he scowled.

Kuran and his cruel games… he must be laughing right now, swilling back his own, untainted tablets while Zero was left to writhe in torment…

_Wait!_

As the thought occurred to him, he all but flew upright.

It was time to pay his wretched _neighbour_ a visit.

-xXx-

Kaname had also returned his room, although he hardly remembered covering the intervening distance in the wake of his turbulent thoughts.

Having played a significant part in the formulation and production of the blood tablets, Kaname knew quite a bit about them. Their chemical makeup was designed to mimic the nutrients found in blood, providing vampires with the sustenance they required while simultaneously delivering an artificially engineered hormone which suppressed their cravings. They were a kind of mix between a vitamin tablet and a nicotine patch, and on born vampires they worked without fail.

The pureblood had been elated by their early findings; here was a way to keep vampires healthy without having to hurt anyone… the key to the peace Kaname had been striving for these long years.

They had sent the tablets to an independent facility for testing on various levels of vampires, and the results had been just as promising… except when it came to ex-humans. As they retained some of their human DNA and chemical make-up, the synthetic hormone was somewhat ineffective at suppressing the thirst over long periods of time. However, as they soon discovered, that was not the only problem. A handful of the test subjects developed an allergic reaction to the blood-substitute, their system refusing to metabolize it. In one case, the allergy had become so severe that repeated exposure proved fatal.

He had no idea whether Kiriyu's intolerance would go that far, but he wasn't about to take the chance. If it became widely known that some vampires couldn't take the tablets, it would create a setback for Kaname's campaign to promote pacifism.

His mind desperately explored every possibility, trying to find a way to compensate for this unexpected consequence. It was like running in circles though – tiring but ultimately pointless. No matter which way he approached it, the facts remained the same.

Zero could not take the tablets. Sooner rather than later the ex-human was going to lose himself to the bloodlust, and when that happened every human in the academy would be at risk, including – or rather – _especially_ Yuuki.

Smoothly, Kaname slipped in behind his desk and made a start on the neat pile of paperwork, hoping it would distract him from his fatalistic musings.

A few minutes later, as Kaname set the first paper aside and made a start on replying to the second one, something began to nag at his senses.

_Kiriyu?_

He could feel the tingle in his wrist as the lariat alerted him to the ex-human's approach. He barely had time to glance up before the doorknob was twisted violently, the door thrown open swiftly, revealing a very angry vampire with stormy red-violet eyes and tension defining each line of his frame.

"It would be wise to knock, Kiriyu. Next time you may not find me in a forgiving mood…"

Zero paid him no heed, shutting the door before stalking across the carpet to the pureblood's desk. Still he said nothing, merely scanning the surface of the elegant mahogany worktop until his eyes rested on the glass of blood tablet liquid Kaname had prepared for himself.

The glass was full; Kaname had not had a chance to drink it before he'd become engrossed in his paperwork.

Knowing where Zero's thoughts were probably leading him, Kaname spoke.

"These will make you ill as well. You are allergic to them."

Zero made a soft noise of disbelief, reaching across the desk suddenly to seize the glass. Bloodlust and desperation were combining to make him reckless. Frankly, at the moment he didn't care what the pureblood said. He was starving, and if there was even a remote chance that Kuran had poisoned the previous tablets and was just lying to cover his tracks now, Zero was willing to take it. He raised the glass to his lips.

"This is foolishness, Kiriyu…"

Kaname's eyes narrowed slightly as the silver-haired boy began raising the glass. He had to fight down an irrational urge to reach over and hit the glass away from the ex-human, reasoning that Zero would not believe he hadn't been tricked until he saw the consequences for himself.

It didn't take long. Zero's body had been sensitized to the tablets now, and this second dosage took effect faster than the first. Within minutes, Kaname had a violently ill ex-human sprawled on the floor of his bathroom, where he had collapsed after emptying his stomach in the expensive marble basin.

-xXx-

Kaname looked at Zero, hunched over on the floor, his whole frame trembling with a combination of bloodlust and the allergic reaction. He should have been delighting in watching the hunter squirm, but somehow he couldn't bring himself to do that. Besides the fact that he had never really been given to acts of needless cruelty, there was something about Zero that drew sympathy from him. Perhaps the fact that they had both lost far too much too young, or that Kaname could see a lot of himself in Zero; They were both proud, strong-willed individuals doing what they could to survive despite the obstacles circumstance threw in their path.

Whatever the reason, Kaname found his hand travelling unbidden to the side of his throat where Zero had bitten him before. It seemed… he had no choice. After all, he had sealed Zero's fate by dragging him into this; it would hardly be fair to leave the boy to die or run mad. Kaname's eyes betrayed his distaste at having to do this, but he kept his voice soft and steady.

"Come here."

Zero gave a mirthless chuckle, but did not move. Kaname almost growled in frustration.

"Kiriyu, get up!"

He itched to use the lariat again, to force the ex-human to obey… but he knew it would once more lead him down the dark road of his instincts, so it was best left as a last resort. He tried goading Zero instead.

"Why must you be so stubborn? Is it really that hard to believe that I am trying to help you?"

Zero's head jerked up, confusion and rage mingling with the bloodlust in his eyes, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"_Help_ me? Like you've _helped_ me so far?"

Kaname's patience was wearing thin. He was trying to be merciful; willing to sacrifice his_ blood_ – blood countless others would kill for – to ease Zero's suffering, and the obstinate little ingrate was practically dragging his generosity through the mud. The pureblood's eyes flashed dangerously, and he felt the tug in his wrist as the lariat tightened in response. Kaname took deep breaths, trying to calm himself down before his urge to _hurt_ Zero overcame him.

"You need blood to survive Kiriyu, but you are allergic to the tablets. I will not allow you to take from any of the humans in the school, and the night class must not find out what you are. That means you are stuck with me, and I with you. Believe me, I wish it were otherwise; but facts are facts. Either you stop feeling sorry for yourself and take what I'm offering you, or you leave me no choice but to force it down your ungrateful throat!"

Zero's body was wracked by another wave of hunger and he hung his head, trying to breathe through the pain. He couldn't deny that Kaname's proposal was tempting beyond belief right now. Anything, _anything_ to fill the clawing, aching void within… but the small voice of reason nagged at him, telling him there was a catch. There _must_ be a catch. _Never trust a vampire._ His voice was scratchy and hoarse, rasping out of the raw dryness of his throat.

"Why? Why are you doing this? Kill me… leave me to starve… But for God's sake stop _tormenting _me!"

The brokenness of Zero's admonishment and the utter despair filling those glowing, ember-like eyes brought Kaname back from the dangerous edge he'd been treading. The ex-human was looking at him as if he was a soulless, cruel monster… and a sudden pang ran through his chest despite himself. He realized that he had been letting the inner beast take control again… and it frightened him how easily he'd lost himself to his dark side. He wanted to apologize, but couldn't quite find the words to do it, so instead he made his request again, trying not to sound threatening this time, playing instead on the one thing he knew about Zero.

"I know you hate me. I would have thought you would jump at the chance to hurt me..."

There was no response from Zero, and Kaname was on the verge of giving in and using the lariat despite knowing he shouldn't, when the ex-human's hand caught his ankle in a powerful grip, yanking it forward suddenly and throwing the pureblood off balance. Kaname tried to recover himself in time to prevent falling, but Zero had taken him by surprise and his centre of gravity had already shifted too far. He went down, only just managing to throw his hands out in reflex and stop himself from landing flat on his back. He was now leaning on his hands, half-sitting and half lying on the cold tile, looking down at where Zero still had hold of his leg.

"What…" Kaname began, but Zero chose that moment to lift his head, and the slightly glazed appearance of his vivid crimson eyes left the pureblood in no doubt. The hunter had lost his inner struggle, and all that existed now was the need to satiate his hunger.

Still on all fours, the ex-human moved sinuously, advancing slowly towards Kaname's throat. The pureblood didn't want to admit it, but it looked strangely… sensual, Zero moving over him like that. He kicked himself mentally for even _thinking_ such a thing, but of course, that only reinforced the thought. Uncharacteristically, he felt his face flushing slightly.

Zero despised himself for what he was doing, but he could do nothing to prevent it. He could only take another step on hands and knees, forcing Kaname to lay back further, carmine eyes intent on the glimpse of the graceful neck so provocatively exposed by the loose collar. Up close, the pureblood's delicious scent was driving him crazy. He could practically taste that intoxicating fragrance as it rolled off Kuran in waves, accentuating the heat Zero felt radiating from the pureblood's body where their chests were now almost touching. He reached his destination, kneeling over Kaname's prone form. With a last glare directed at the pureblood, a clear _I hate you for making me do this,_ Zero's mouth dipped to the warm, smooth skin of Kaname's neck.

His tongue slid out, testing, tasting… probing for the pulsing vein. His fangs followed, penetrating the pureblood's skin in a gradual, purposeful motion. He hoped Kuran felt every second of it, and that it hurt him intensely.

In truth, Kaname did feel each moment of Zero's teeth slowly piercing his neck; and it _was_ painful, but not nearly in the same way as Zero was thinking. Kaname held back a small gasp as the ex-human's fangs sank home. _What __**was**__ this? _Last time Zero had bitten him, the pureblood had barely been able to stand it… but now… now it was sending strange, unfamiliar sparks of warmth skating through him. For some reason, it almost felt _good_…

Zero's fangs found the vein, tapping into it with instinctive ease, waiting for blood to well up around the punctures before starting to suck in earnest, massaging the wounds with his tongue to encourage the flow. Kaname collapsed under the ex-human, unable to support himself any longer due to the sinful threads of pure, molten ecstasy winding through his frame. Zero followed him down, his body moulded to Kaname's, knowing only that he needed more of this scarlet drug. The pureblood clenched his jaw harshly against the intensity of the sensations, feeling like his control was about to snap as his darker, primal side begged to be released.

_Kiriyu…_

_That damn book… hadn't… said anything… about this…_

As it happened, Kaname was wrong. It had indeed been mentioned in the text; but as part of the section regarding the use of bound slaves for pleasure, which he had skipped over. After all, he had only been planning to bind the hunter, not bed him!

Had he been more thorough in his research – and not as reluctant to even _read_ about sex when Kiriyu might in any way be involved – he would have discovered that when a pureblood bound an ex-human to themselves, it essentially "attuned" the slave to the body of their master. It was for this reason that most of them were used in the bedroom; they had innate knowledge of what their master liked imprinted on them through the binding process, and the pureblood's body became uniquely sensitized to the touch of their slave.

For vampires, it was also considered very intimate to share blood. Since they almost exclusively preyed on humans, bloodletting amongst vampires themselves was seen as a sign of affection or passion. It was thus a natural part of their physiology to associate feeding with pleasure, and Kaname's pureblood heritage meant his body followed _all _the vampire rules. This in combination with his unexpected responsiveness to Zero's bite was setting him on fire, need blazing red-hot through his veins.

It seemed Kiriyu was not affected in the same way as he was; the ex-human was still draining him with ruthless efficiency and little restraint, but his movements were clinical, unfeeling; although his body lay flush against Kaname's, there was tension in every line of it, as if he found it highly distasteful and was only doing it because it provided better access to Kaname's blood.

Kaname raised his hands to Zero's sides, intending to push him back, but his limbs felt leaden and sluggish, the gesture of dismissal unintentionally becoming an almost-caress as his trembling fingers took hold of Zero's heaving ribcage.

The thought of using the lariat was slow in occurring to his desire-fogged mind, but when it came to him he seized it like a lifeline. The situation was fast turning dangerous; Kiriyu's body pressed against his was disturbingly arousing and the onslaught of sounds and sensations relating to blood being stolen from his body in a heated, dizzying rush was coaxing involuntary responses from him, threatening to shatter his composure totally. He needed to put an end to this, in spite of how intoxicating it was…

Reaching for the last vestiges of his willpower he commanded Zero to stop.

Zero lifted his head from Kaname's neck, pushing himself up and off the pureblood. His body was tingling right down to the marrow as Kaname's powerful blood infused him and he rather wished the warm, pleasant buzz would stop. It was bad enough that he had been sufficiently weak to take Kuran up on his offer; he didn't need this physical reminder of his debt. He was still sitting on the floor and he leaned back against the bathtub, hoping the cold porcelain against his spine would help ground him. He looked over at Kaname, who had also moved to sit up and was now scrutinizing him intently, as if seeking confirmation of something in his eyes. Twin trails of scarlet snaked down the pureblood's neck from the healing bite wounds, his shirt gleaming wetly where blood had soaked into it. Although Zero had satisfied his thirst, he couldn't deny that he found the sight and smell of Kuran's blood as tempting as ever. The fact sickened him, but it was undeniable. He got to his feet, a little unsteadily since his senses felt strangely off-kilter. He noticed that the pureblood's gaze still followed him, and it was unnerving.

"If you're expecting me to thank you, don't hold your breath."

A pang of guilt spiked through Zero even as the words slipped from his mouth. Despite Kaname being his enemy and all, it had been a very cruel thing to say given the circumstances and he regretted it instantly.

Kuran merely shrugged however, turning his eyes away from Zero. The hunter hesitated for a second, almost tempted to apologize, but thought better of it and walked away.

-xXx-

Kaname knew he should get to cleaning up before anyone came to investigate, yet he continued to sit there, drawing his knees up to his chest, looking strangely shaken.

Giving his blood to Zero had been one of the most incredible, intensely pleasurable things he had ever experienced – and that terrified him. How had it come to this? The untouchable Kaname Kuran thrown down on his own bathroom floor, bitten viciously by an ex-human _slave_… and _enjoying_ it. He flushed in shame. It was unforgivable!

He didn't know how Kiriyu had managed to affect him this way, but he did know it could not be allowed to happen again. There must be some way to keep his instincts in check around the boy, and he intended to find it. Rising, he ran himself a bath, making sure to add plenty of fragranced bubbles to help hide the scent of his blood which still hung in the air. He washed quickly, returning to his desk when he was done.

Preparing some much-needed blood tablets and retrieving several old, leather-bound books from the shelf, he retired to the chair.

It seemed he had a lot more reading to do.


	5. The Thought of You

_**A/N:**__ I know it's been another ages-long wait for this chapter *hides*… It's been frustrating for me as well, because I've been trying to finish this for some time now, but work keeps getting in the way. *glares at desk*. Oh well, here it is – please let me know if you're still enjoying it, okay? :D_

* * *

There was nothing else for it.

Kaname had been through all the non-explicit sections of every book he had on the subject, and was still none the wiser as to why Kiriyu had been able to illicit such a response from him. In truth, he wasn't surprised; after all, he'd been through these books before. No… the answer probably lay in _those_ pages. The ones with titles alone that threatened to make him blush - and a few vivid illustrations as well. He sighed, hardly believing that an ex-human was capable of driving him to stoop so low. Reopening the book on his lap, he hesitantly leafed through it until he found what he was looking for.

Time passed, but Kaname paid it no heed.

A few hours later, the pureblood slammed the book shut. Reflexively glancing around the room, as if to make sure he was still alone, he allowed himself the luxury of running his hands through his hair and leaning his head back as he sighed in frustration.

Why the _hell_ had he not gone through these pages _before_ he'd had the _brilliant _idea of binding Zero Kiriyu? Now he was trapped as surely as the ex-human was. Zero would need his blood again, and when he did, Kaname was going to find it extremely difficult to hide the effect the hunter had on him.

Under normal circumstances, there would have been no need to hide his responsiveness from his slave. After all, most bound ex-humans were mindless puppets who existed only to please their master… but Zero… Zero was volatile; an undefined variable in Kaname's careful equations.

A loose cannon.

Despite that, Kiriyu intrigued him. He was unique; a hunter turned into a vampire, possessing traits from both species. Who knew what distinctive skills could be coaxed from him, or what a keen edge he could be honed to as a weapon?

Kaname had essentially taken responsibility for Zero; put blood and effort into keeping him alive and sane. Perhaps it needn't be an empty investment… perhaps - if handled carefully - Kiriyu could be more useful than Kaname had originally intended. With both the binding and needing Kaname's blood to sustain him hanging over his head, it wasn't exactly an offer the ex-human could afford to refuse. Besides, such an arrangement might even be beneficial for the hunter, helping him find and accept his full potential. The only trouble would be getting Zero to see it that way.

-xXx-

While Kaname had been searching for answers, Zero had been asking questions.

He lay in the silence of his room, with Kuran's blood still tingling in his veins and one arm thrown across his eyes as if in hopes of blocking out not only his sight, but his thoughts as well.

He hated himself for accepting Kaname's supposedly magnanimous offer, but his body had taken over that decision for him… and the second that rich, glorious nectar had touched his tongue, he knew the pureblood had enslaved him even more thoroughly.

As if he didn't have enough to think about, there was Kuran's strange behavior to consider. Zero had been rather out of it at the time, lost in the depths of the bloodlust, but he distinctly remembered the pureblood's body trembling beneath him, not to mention Kaname's hands holding him gently, almost tenderly. _Why?_ Perhaps more pressingly, why had something within him reacted so strongly to those things? It had felt so right somehow, to the point where it had been a struggle just to keep his body from reacting. Afterwards, when Kuran had stared at him as if looking for something, what had he been hoping to find? Proof of his own superiority? Acknowledgement of Zero's defeat? Whatever the reason, that long, searching gaze had made Zero very uncomfortable and ultimately led to his scathing remark.

Then there was the million-dollar question around Kaname's motivation for giving Zero blood in the first place. It was surely not out of any kind of sympathy or goodwill. Probably the pureblood just wanted to emphasize the hold he had over Zero… and make no mistake, Kuran had a very firm hold over him right now.

When he finally managed to fall asleep, he was no closer to finding enlightenment.

-xXx-

Kaname rubbed tiredly at his temples. He could no longer ignore the nagging fatigue stealing over him; he hadn't slept at all, his mind being too unsettled for rest, and he had consequently spent the remaining hours of daylight lost in the stack of Council correspondence. Aside from the usual weekly letter asking for a report on the progress of the Academy's coexistence project, there were several requests for comment on new draft laws; dry, tedious work which required much cross-referencing and careful political phrasing. As the heir of the house of Kuran, Kaname's opinion was highly regarded in all matters regarding governance of the vampire race. It was an antique tradition, a holdover from the first days of the Council when they had taken the reins from the Kuran monarchy and still sought authorization from the erstwhile ruling family. These days, Kaname did not have the absolute last word in these matters, but he still had a lot of influence and was thus expected to pass comment and generally express his approval or disapproval before the legislation was put to an official vote.

He glanced idly at the long case clock in the corner, frowning at the hour. He finally felt tired enough to sleep, but he knew if he surrendered to his fatigue now, he would likely not wake in time for class. Reluctantly, he pulled another letter from the stack on his desk, resisting the urge to sigh. As he picked up his pen, he noticed that despite the tablets he'd taken earlier, he could still feel a faint pressure in his chest and throb in his jaw.

Normally, purebloods needed blood less often than other vampires did because their systems were uniquely designed to obtain the maximum sustenance from it. However, in times of physical or emotional stress, their metabolism sped up greatly in order to ensure that their healing and powers were at full strength. Binding Kiriyu had taken a considerable expenditure of precise, carefully controlled power. He would have recovered fairly quickly, but he had not counted on giving blood as well. The last few days were now taking a toll. He supposed it was understandable. He'd pushed himself pretty hard… but somehow he expected more of himself. He should be stronger than this.

Refilling his glass from the water pitcher, he grudgingly picked up his almost-empty box of tablets.

The pale crimson liquid helped somewhat for the pain, but it did nothing to calm his clamouring instincts. Sometimes, purebloods had an urge to hunt… to devour.

These dark desires would manifest occasionally, and Kaname hated that – he tried so hard to rise above the basic savagery evolution had wired into his blood, and yet, when the beast called, it was nearly impossible to ignore. He wanted real, hot, living blood… flesh to rend with claws and fangs… he shut his eyes and shook his head.

He knew he controlled himself much better than other purebloods, but sometimes he wondered if the struggle was worth it... if anyone truly cared that he denied himself, that he tried to be a better person than his nature dictated.

Of course, Yuuki came to mind… but lately he'd been wondering about that. She was too naïve, too ignorant of the monumental struggle it actually was to keep up this seeming of humanity. Ever since the time she had stumbled upon him drinking Ruka's blood, she had never looked at him quite the same. He got the distinct impression that, in a way, she was actually _afraid_ of him, and that hurt. What was even more painful though was the thought that perhaps… she was right to fear him. Therefore, he kept his distance these days, only allowing himself an encouraging word or two during class changeovers, occasionally a brief touch when the ache of his loneliness became too much – but most of those moments were interrupted by Kiriyu anyway.

_Kiriyu…_ the hunter didn't realize how lucky he had been to be near Yuuki every day, to exchange casual touches and relaxed banter with her, to bask in the constant warmth of her smiles and the sweetness of her scent the way Kaname longed to do. A flash of jealous rage seized the pureblood, tempered only by the satisfying knowledge that Kiriyu could no longer do those things, not with the binding holding him fast. Yes… it served the presumptuous ex-human right. Let _him_ feel what it was like to be restrained by invisible fetters from the one thing you wanted more than life itself.

Unhelpfully, Kaname's mind supplied an image of the silver-haired vampire earlier, kneeling on the bathroom floor. Although there had been the usual hate and anger in those captivatingly unusual eyes, there had been something else too - a desolate despair. The picture tugged at Kaname's restless conscience again; taking away any lingering delight in Zero's suffering and replacing it with the by now familiar guilt.

At times Kaname almost wished he could just be a heartless bastard. It would be so much simpler to kill the boy than to save him, and yet Kaname knew somehow that even if it did come down to a confrontation between them, he would not kill Kiriyu if he could possibly help it. Maim him perhaps… now _there_ was a thought… but leave him alive nonetheless.

Kaname's lips quirked slightly as he realized that the hunter would not grant him the same consideration.

Yes… if only he could be a heartless bastard instead of a compassionate fool.

-xXx-

As the shadows lengthened towards evening, the object of Kaname's speculation woke up.

Zero stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, trying to gather strength for what lay ahead. Another night of being among them, being glared at and talked about. Tonight though, he had no intention of waiting for Kuran at the foot of the stairs like the rest of the obedient bloodsuckers. Hastily, he showered and dressed, hoping to leave the moon dorm before any of the other vampires were about.

Still shrugging into his jacket as he distractedly opened the door, it was only his vampire reflexes that saved him from crashing straight into the pureblood standing outside. What the hell was Kuran doing out here anyway?

"Going somewhere, Kiriyu? Class doesn't start for an hour at least," Kaname said almost lazily, observing and enjoying the irritation and surprise written clearly across the hunter's features. The brunette had been on his way to get more blood tablets, having nearly run out, but had heard Zero rapidly approaching the door and become curious about what the prefect was up to.

"It's none of your business. Get out of my way, Kuran," Zero snapped, fixing Kaname with eyes like lightning-tinged storm clouds.

Kaname's pureblood instincts - never far from the surface when Zero was involved – surged to the fore at the hunter's dismissive tone. He'd been trying so hard to play nice… but for someone who was used to being obeyed without question, Kiriyu's defiance was just too much.

Zero sidestepped, making an attempt to go around the pureblood, but the ex-human was no match for Kaname's speed and nearly collided with him again as the brunette seemed to materialize in front of him.

The hunter reached out to shove Kaname away, but his hands were caught and held by an invisible force. The pureblood's presence magnified suddenly, and Zero raised his gaze to meet his opponent's, seeing a faint glimmer of red pass across Kaname's eyes, like light skimming off an oil slick.

"You know, _Zero_," Kaname began in a venomous undertone, putting emphasis on the hunter's name to irk him further, "most purebloods are a lot more _demanding_ of their ex-humans. I've made every effort to be civil and polite, but you insist on throwing my generosity back in my face. Perhaps it's time I claimed a little restitution for my trouble."

The pureblood was not really in full control of himself anymore, and the words had spilled from the ancient, inner darkness hedging his mind before he could hold his tongue.

An icy spiral of ingrained fear twisted in Zero's gut, but he refused to acknowledge it.

"Go ahead then," the hunter taunted, "prove how wrong Yuuki is about you…"

Kaname stepped closer, leaning in so that his breath brushed over Zero's tattoo - across the still-visible evidence of his bite - just long enough to emphasize the hunter's vulnerable position before lifting his head a little to whisper in Zero's ear.

"You'd like that, wouldn't you Kiriyu? If she chose you over me. You're still assuming that you would be the safer choice because you think you're more human than I am. I wonder if you've ever considered that perhaps Yuuki hasn't found herself a nice normal boy because she doesn't want one."

Kaname was skating treacherously close to certain hidden truths now, but anger was making him careless.

Zero's eyes narrowed dangerously, although the effect was lost on Kaname who was still leaning into Zero's neck. The hunter suddenly found he could move his arms again, and he put that ability to good use, punching the pureblood in the stomach, hard.

Kaname was driven back by the force of the unexpected blow, and Zero used the opportunity to get around him and escape.

The pureblood watched him leave, but held back, breathing carefully. His vampire nature was still pretty amped up from earlier, and he didn't trust himself. If he used the lariat now, there was no telling what might happen. As he stood there, he considered the irony of the situation. He had been the one to bind Zero, but in many ways it was the pureblood himself who was truly trapped.

A nearly indiscernible sound and a familiar scent behind him indicated that Seiren had returned; ready to report on the outcome of her mission. He turned to face her, suddenly wondering how much of his exchange with Zero she had witnessed, then deciding it didn't matter. Whatever she might have seen and heard would never be repeated without his permission. He headed for his rooms, knowing she would follow.

-xXx-

Still seething after Kuran's casual threats, Zero went through the moon dorm gates, figuring he would wait for Yuuki to arrive. There were a few fangirls already in position, and they squealed excitedly as he opened the gate, but quieted in disappointment upon seeing it was just Zero and not the entire night class.

He shot them a glare, more out of habit than anything else. Nothing felt the same anymore. They seemed to pick up on his dark mood, because they moved away from the gates and stood in a more orderly fashion further along the pathway, their excited chatter dying down to a more tolerable level. Ignoring them, Zero leaned back against the moon dorm wall, folding his arms and settling in to wait.

Ten minutes later, he heard footsteps approaching, but they weren't the light, feminine kind he had been expecting. Chairman Cross stepped out onto the path, spotting Zero and heading towards him.

"Ah, Kiriyu! How nice to see you… are you settling in nicely? You must be since you never come around to visit me anymore!"

Zero couldn't bring himself to dignify that with an answer, so he remained silent, wondering what the chairman was doing here.

"Yuuki isn't coming this evening, I sent her and Yori into town to run a few errands," Cross said, by way of explanation. He gave Zero a knowing glance before continuing in a quieter voice – one which wouldn't be as easily overheard by the day class students.

"I would have sent for you, but I assumed you'd be sleeping."

The old man's senses were keen, Zero mused. He had tried hard not to let any trace of regret show in his expression, but Cross had obviously seen through the attempt.

The ex-human wasn't particularly keen on doing duty with the chairman. He knew from experience that the man tended to encourage the day class girls to wave and cheer as the night class went by, rather than keeping them quiet. He said it was good for human-vampire relations, but it just gave Zero a headache.

Once again demonstrating his uncanny perceptiveness, Cross looked at Zero.

"I can do duty on my own if you have something else to take care of." His voice was neutral, even a little teasing. Zero knew he was being offered an escape, and didn't hesitate to take it.

"Whatever."

Shrugging nonchalantly, he began to walk off.

Cross smiled as he watched the silver-haired vampire disappear into the trees, in the direction of the academy's main gate. _Ah, my son… predictable as ever._

-xXx-

Seiren stood before Kaname's desk, speaking in her usual calm, guarded tone. She could see that Kaname was both tired and tense, so she gave only the salient findings of her reconnaissance, knowing he would ask for details if he required them.

"It is as you expected, Kaname-sama. She has begun her journey north in search of the last one."

Kaname's eyes narrowed slightly in the quiet darkness.

"Thank you, Seiren."

His tone carried a faint hint of dismissal, and the white-haired vampire could tell her leader wished to be alone. Inclining her head respectfully, she took her leave.

Kaname turned his attention to the chessboard on his desk, surveying the pieces with a practiced eye while considering the information he had received.

_So, she would soon be forced to make her move._

Just as well. Lately Kaname had been worrying that time was running out to gather the necessary strength before that other, far more dangerous confrontation.

Contemplatively, the pureblood picked up the white queen, moving it one square closer to the knight.


	6. The Agony of Guilt

_I've had massive writer's block on this for ages, but at long last, the muse has returned._

_Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed/alerted/faved this fic despite my woeful lack of updates - this chapter wouldn't have been written if it weren't for you! _

_Also, another well-deserved shout-out to __**YenGirl**__, who offered advice and a helpful eye when it came to the details._

* * *

After Seiren's report, Kaname leaned his head back against the chair, taking a few moments alone with his thoughts before classes started.

He had been keeping tabs on Shizuka Hiou ever since she had escaped her imprisonment at Rido's hands. Initially he had thought she might be useful as a way to get to Rido or at the very least provide a diversion. Through his surveillance, he had learned that Shizuka was planning to use him too. She wanted revenge against Rido more than anything, and knew that the only way she would ever be strong enough to stand a chance against the elder Kuran would be if she could drink the blood of the younger. At that time, their game had begun in earnest. They both knew it would be reckless to confront each other directly until the time was right, since they were more or less evenly matched in terms of power. Therefore, while Kaname had gone to the Academy and laid his plans from there, Shizuka had been biding her time by moving from place to place with Ichiru Kiriyu at her side.

Since Shizuka was essentially presumed dead by vampire society at large, she could not risk being seen, yet she needed to keep informed of how things stood amongst the aristocracy. It was at that time that she had started using the bodies of others. She preferred the bodies of young girls, and went after her noble blood relatives' daughters one by one. She could not use them indefinitely – suspicions inevitably started to arise and she could not risk the parents of her hosts finding out that she was alive, so she had stayed on the run. Flitting between bodies like a parasitic butterfly, she spent a few months in each one, gathering information all the while. In this nomadic way, she had managed to evade capture for the better part of four years, but the end of her little charade was now imminent.

Seiren had just informed him that Shizuka was going after her last remaining young, female relative, a frail girl named Maria Kurenai. It meant that the madly blooming princess was either going to have to make her move against Kaname or change tactics completely. He strongly suspected the former; Shizuka was a creature of habit, insane perhaps, but still predictable. She would come here next, drawn by her chance for revenge.

The game was turning dangerous now. Kaname was confident in his planning; several contingencies had been in place for quite some time, but the current situation with Zero complicated matters.

He didn't like the fact that Kiriyu could affect him so easily, bringing all his hidden demons to the fore. Once Shizuka made her appearance Kaname would need to be completely focused, and he could definitely do without the hunter's particularly worrisome brand of distraction. He told himself that he simply needed to concentrate and exercise firmer control in the hunter's presence, but he knew from experience that it was easier said than done. Thanks to the binding, Zero was able to elicit all manner of shameful sensations from him – like the unique fiery pleasure that the hunter's bite had brought, or the sudden urge he'd had earlier to _devour_ the silver-haired prefect like a ravenous wolf, which was more than a little frightening.

Not for the first time, Kaname wished he could go back in time and undo this reckless move that may yet cost him everything, but it was too late. He'd been so blinded by the need to protect Yuuki that he'd been careless.

Only time would tell how serious the repercussions might be, but he was willing to bet the results would be climactic. In his life, the consequences of even the smallest error always were.

-xXx-

At the quaint little Sweet Treats café in town, Zero slid into one side of a booth while Yuuki and Yori seated themselves opposite him. It hadn't been difficult to track the girls down; the chairman had very specific tastes in ingredients for _his style_ of cooking and as a result, there were only a handful of shops and market stalls in the small town that he frequented.

When Zero had found them, Yuuki had just been finishing up the grocery shopping and as usual, she wanted to celebrate with a treat from her favourite hangout. Long since resigned to his adopted sister's insatiable sweet tooth, Zero had merely followed along in silence. The server arrived to take their order, and Zero asked for green tea, as was his custom here – the rest of the menu was far too sugary for his tastes.

As Zero sipped his tea, Yuuki made short work of her triple-scoop-sundae with chocolate sauce, whipped cream and nuts, while Yori tucked somewhat more sedately into a banana split. It was a deceptively normal scene, and that tugged at Zero's conscience. Did he even belong here, drinking tea like a normal person when in reality he was not even human? Yuuki laughed at something Yori had said, and Zero's heart clenched painfully. Her laugh was so innocent and carefree. He felt like he had no right to be close to her anymore. By now, he should have been sitting in class with the rest of them, learning to be a good little bloodsucker. The thought made him scowl, which prompted an inquisitive look from Yuuki.

"Zero, is something wrong?"

He shook his head slightly, making an effort to clear his expression before taking another sip of tea. Yuuki looked like she wanted to say something, but then she glanced sideways at Yori and kept silent instead. Nothing if not perceptive, Yori excused herself shortly afterwards to use the restroom. She had barely left the table before the full force of Yuuki's wide, brown eyes was trained on Zero, managing to appear both fiercely determined and caring.

"Is it the Night Class? You've never liked them much, and Aido can be quite mean…"

Zero resisted the urge to chuckle bitterly. So close yet so far from the truth.

"I'm fine, stop worrying."

She punched him playfully on the arm, used to his brusque answers by now. "Well someone's got to look out for you! You'd never take care of yourself otherwise. Just so you know, I think you're really great for helping out by going to the night class."

The familiar banter made a lump settle in Zero's throat. He'd always known that one day his transformation would divide them, but it just felt so sudden, so _final._ He gave her one of his rare half-smiles, hoping it would cheer her up as it usually did. It seemed to work, and the rest of the evening passed amiably enough, the three of them eventually walking back to school in companionable silence, but only after Yuuki had polished off a second sundae and thoroughly satisfied her craving for sweets.

-xXx-

Classes had already started by the time Zero got back to the academy. Not wanting to walk in late and feel _their_ eyes on him, he returned to his room in the Moon dorm instead. He was just wondering what he should do next when it sank in that he was alone, and Kuran still had the Bloody Rose. He wouldn't be able to carry it on him since it would react to his aura, which meant it was most likely in his room, right next door to Zero's.

A malicious glint shone in the silver-haired teen's eyes as he smirked. He would go into the pureblood's room, retrieve the gun, and the next time that arrogant prick came near him, he would show him exactly how painful hunter weapon-inflicted wounds could be.

Quietly, Zero slipped into Kaname's quarters. The door was unlocked; which only proved that the pureblood relied far too much on his status to keep him safe. Casting a glance around the luxurious room, Zero decided to start in the study area. He narrowed down the most likely hiding places and started searching each one methodically. He was careful to put everything back exactly the way he'd found it so as not to make Kuran suspicious; if he did not retrieve the gun this time round, he could always find a way to cut classes again and resume his search, so it was best to keep the pureblood oblivious to his actions.

The desk drawers turned up nothing but neatly laid out fountain pens and reams of high-quality writing paper tied up with elegant silk ribbons. In the corner cabinet – a magnificently wrought rosewood affair with intricate carvings and gold inlay – he found archiving boxes filled with correspondence and a few spare paperweights. Near the back, he discovered a rather innocuous box filled with colourful, kitsch items, which (thanks to the cards he found in the bottom of the box) Zero realized had been assorted gifts from Yuuki and Chairman Cross over the years. It seemed such an incongruous thing for a rich, powerful pureblood to save – handmade cards and gaudy trinkets from a human girl and an ex-hunter. Zero hadn't pegged Kuran as the hoarding type; after all, this was the only clutter he'd managed to find so far... but Zero thought he understood. Kaname had kept these for the same reason Zero still treasured the admittedly pathetic attempt at a scarf Yuuki had knitted him for Christmas three years ago. Briefly, Zero wondered if the conceited pureblood had a heart after all, but he soon shrugged off the thought. It wasn't as he cared anyway. More importantly, he was wasting time. Cautiously replacing the box, Zero shut the cabinet door and went back to searching for his weapon.

He moved into the small seating area next to the study where three antique damask armchairs were arranged around an exquisite hardwood table. There didn't seem to be any likely places to conceal something, so he started towards the adjoining door that led to the bedroom itself, but as he passed a marble-topped side table, he noticed a book lying on it. The cover was completely worn and faded with either age or use and Zero could not discern a title. Idly curious as to Kuran's choice in literature, he flipped the book open to a page that had been dog-eared as a marker. Scanning the text, the hunter realized it was written in some strange symbols he'd never seen before, so he put it down. Typical. The pureblood wouldn't be caught dead reading a remotely normal book – that was probably beneath him.

Time was running short, and Zero knew he could only search one more location safely. The closet was the obvious choice, so he entered the bedroom and crossed to the double doors on the wall opposite the bed. To his surprise, it was a walk-in. Once the doors opened, they revealed a long, relatively narrow room with mirrors at one end and two long rails of immaculately pressed uniforms, suits, slacks and shirts hanging on his right. Shoes, ties and belts were to the left, laid out in an eye-pleasing array. There was a matching belt for each pair of shoes, and a veritable rainbow of ties. Next to them, a tiered platform held cufflinks, tiepins and various other expensive-looking accessories. Zero realized his mouth was hanging slightly open and shut it hastily. _Idiot. He's a pureblood; obviously he's only going to have the very best of everything. Stop gawking like a fool and find that gun!_

He checked all the shelves but there was nothing of interest on them. He spotted a dresser against one wall near the back of the room, just in front of the well-lit dressing area that had mirrored walls. He approached it cautiously, finding the effect of his reflection staring back at him from all sides rather unsettling, and went through the drawers. He found fine silk pajamas in one, matching socks in the other, and in the last one, rows of neatly folded underwear, black on one side of the drawer, white on the other.

Zero promptly slammed the offending drawer shut, disturbed to find his breathing was a little shallow. It wasn't as if men's underwear was something he hadn't seen before, but it seemed intensely personal and... private. He even found his cheeks colouring slightly in embarrassment. Checking his watch more for distraction than anything else, he realized he was out of time. He better get out of here fast, because the mere thought of Kuran walking in on him right now was too mortifying to countenance.

Wherever the pureblood was hiding it, it seemed the Bloody Rose would not be so easy to find. Disappointed, but resolving that he'd just come back and continue his search another day, Zero slipped out of Kaname's room and back into his own. He had showered earlier before going to town, but it had been a long walk back and he didn't feel like going to bed sweaty, so he decided to take another shower before the rest of the night class students returned.

The fact that he had been surrounded by Kuran's scent for the last hour or so and now couldn't seem to stop thinking about it didn't have anything to do with his decision, of course.

-xXx-

The night's lessons had been a tedious affair thus far and Kaname was finding it difficult to sit still. He was by no means a fidgety individual. He could usually allow his mind to wander quite calmly while remaining perfectly poised, but the matters currently weighing on his mind were heavier than usual and they made him restive.

At class changeover, the Chairman had informed him that he'd sent Yuuki and Zero to town to run a few errands. Kaname could not say anything to change that, so he'd gone on to class. Once he'd taken his seat though, unease began to gnaw at him. Zero and Yuuki were alone together right now… what if Kiriyu let something slip about the binding? If Yuuki ever found out that he was essentially keeping the hunter prisoner she would be disappointed and angry at the very least, perhaps even grow to resent him in time. It had been that very fear that had made him forbid the sullen prefect from talking to her alone in the first place, and now the Chairman may have inadvertently ruined everything. He shut his eyes briefly, a faint frown drawing his brows together. The nearest window gave an alarming rattle, although it thankfully held firm until Kaname had reined in his ire.

The lecturer paused for a moment, but hastily continued once he realized what had caused the disturbance. Angry purebloods were not to be trifled with. It was for this very reason that he dismissed the class ten minutes early; the pureblood's restless agitation had begun spreading to the rest of the students in any case, and trying to teach a roomful of disturbed vampires was an exercise in futility.

Kaname led the way back to the dorms, still lost in thought, with the rest of the nobles walking further behind him than usual. They could all tell that something was on their leader's mind, but none dared to ask.

As soon as Kaname set foot in the building, he slipped away upstairs. He knew Zero had returned and he needed to get answers out of the ex-human. When he arrived at Zero's door, however, he could hear the shower running. Annoyed at having to wait, he returned to his room instead; and it was testament to his disturbed state of mind that he was already inside hanging his snowy uniform jacket on the coat rack beside the door before he picked up the scent. Once he registered what his senses were telling him though, he tensed. Kiriyu had been in his room – _very _recently. His eyes narrowed dangerously. What had the hunter been doing in his quarters? A sudden thought had Kaname next to the fireplace in an instant, swinging a gilt-framed painting of a serene seaside landscape aside to reveal the safe beneath. It wasn't as if he honestly thought Zero would have managed to crack the safe; it had been designed by the finest craftsmen for top dollar and would have given even the most experienced thief pause, but he couldn't resist the urge to check that the Bloody Rose was still inside. The last thing he needed was for Kiriyu to get hold of a hunter weapon right now. He knew the ex-human would not hesitate to use it – even on Kaname himself and that would have devastating consequences for the Academy and the fragile peace he'd tried to build here.

He almost sighed audibly in relief upon finding the elegant gun still resting within the safe, although he could now detect from the concentration of Kiriyu's scent that the hunter had not been near this area. Further investigation revealed that he _had _been in the study, rifling through the desk and cabinet. He had even touched the book on blood slaves and binding which Kaname had left out on a side table. This made the pureblood unaccountably furious. He knew that only purebloods could read the ancient dialect the book was written in, which was why he had deemed it unnecessary to put it away, but it galled him to know that the ex-human had been in here, pawing through his things with such brazen disrespect. The scent trail did not stop there, however. Kaname frowned as he followed it into his bedchamber. His inner sanctum, where most of the nobles in the night class had never even been invited, breached by such a low-blood intruder!

To add insult to injury, the trail led straight to the closet where he noted that Kiriyu had checked shelves, touched clothing and even rummaged in his dresser! The brunette vampire's simmering anger heightened to a steady boil. _How dare he? _Such insolence! He should be taught a lesson in respect! Kaname's wrist began to throb, the lariat reminding him strongly of its presence. It would be so easy to force Kiriyu to come to him… to force him to beg… to _punish _him…

Kaname was pulled from his haze as he caught sight of his reflection; cold, rage-darkened eyes staring cruelly back at him with a scarlet gleam skating across the irises. He blinked, bringing one hand up to scrub at his face. He hadn't even realized that his inner beast had been creeping up on him, colouring his thoughts with gore and vengeance. He had every right to be furious with Kiriyu for invading his privacy, but there was no need for violence. He should merely give the other vampire a strict warning to stay out of things that didn't concern him, like the location of the Bloody Rose, or talking to Yuuki. Yes, he would confront Kiriyu with words and facts rather than domination and fear. But first, he needed a hefty dose of blood tablets – just in case.

-xXx-

Zero finished up in the shower, pulling on a pair of comfortable sweatpants before emerging from the bathroom. He toweled his hair casually while he thought about his search for the Bloody Rose. He realized now that he was probably naïve in thinking it would be stashed somewhere easily accessible. Kuran most likely had it locked up somewhere or perhaps had even convinced the Chairman to keep it safe. He threw the towel over the back of the desk chair, sighing as he finger-combed his still damp locks. He felt so powerless right now. Imprisoned by a pureblood, forced to live among the creatures he hated and removed from the closest thing to a family he had left.

He realized he'd been rubbing absently at his neck for some time. The lariat had been tingling on and off all evening – a sign of Kuran's displeasure with Zero's trip to town no doubt – but it seemed to be getting worse now, more noticeable. Zero scowled as he moved to perch on the edge of the bed, waiting to see whether the sensation would ease up so that he could get started on the homework he'd been given the night before. He knew he was going to be behind in at least one class anyway since he hadn't attended tonight, but he figured he could always ask Ichijo to give him the assignments. The sunny blonde was the least vampire-like of all the nobles in the night class, which made Zero less inclined to hate him on principle.

Thankfully, the lariat seemed to be settling again and Zero was grateful for the respite. He rose from the bed, pausing to slip on a loose-fitting T-shirt before retrieving his books and sitting down behind the desk. It felt different to be doing his homework alone. Usually Yuuki would seek him out in his dorm room and convince him they should go over to the chairman's to complete their work. Zero knew the real reason was that Yuuki liked having him handy to help her whenever she got stuck on a question, but he actually enjoyed their pleasant camaraderie over the books. He recalled the last time they had done homework together around the dining table in the chairman's quarters...

_They had worked in comfortable silence until Yuuki's brow had furrowed in that adorable way that usually signaled incomprehension. She shot him a pleading glance before venturing to speak. _

"_Uh, Zero? Could you help me out on question five?" _

_He huffed in response, as was his custom, but got up and went over to help her anyway. Ten minutes later she had at last grasped the subject matter sufficiently to move on to the next question, while Zero watched her like a hawk. She penciled in a figure, and Zero gave a quiet snort. Yuuki knew that meant she had gone wrong somewhere, so she hastily erased the numbers before trying to figure out where she had made the error, chewing absentmindedly on the end of her pencil. _

"_You should pay more attention, Yuuki," Zero admonished quietly; "You've substituted the wrong value of x in the previous step." _

_Yuuki smiled, realizing he was helping her despite his tone. "How do you get through this stuff so easily anyway? You sleep through lessons more often than I do," she lamented. _

"_I guess some of us just have enough brains to be able to get away with sleeping in class…"_

_She elbowed him in the ribs, cutting him off. His mocking half-grin told her he was only joking, so she didn't take real offence. Instead, she rose from the table._

_ "I'll go make us some coffee, since obviously you're far too irritable without it."_

Lost in the haze of fond memories, Zero had no warning before the door slammed open. Whirling around in his chair, he found none other than Kaname Kuran entering his room. The silver-haired prefect was immediately furious that the pureblood had interrupted him in such a personal moment. Zero scowled darkly as he stood, facing the brunette and crossing his arms in defiance.

"What do you want now?" Zero demanded harshly. He decided at the last minute not to comment on Kuran's method of entry, since Zero had done the same thing to the pureblood only a few days ago. _Not to mention the fact that you went through his room…_

"Not so amiable when it is _your_ privacy being invaded, are you, Kiriyu?"

Zero did not miss the razor-sharp undertone of the pureblood's words, and for a second he almost panicked, afraid he'd been caught out in his earlier snooping. He decided to say nothing though, hoping against hope the brunette was referring to Zero bursting into his room the other day and not the more recent transgression. The prefect's silence did not seem to faze Kaname, however, who casually closed the door behind himself, walking in deliberate, measured steps over to the window before speaking.

"Do you find these accommodations adequate?" The pureblood's question was matter-of-fact, and he stared absently out the window as if the answer was of no great consequence. Zero was rather taken aback by the sudden inquiry, unsure where Kuran was going with this. Zero shrugged noncommittally.

"The room's fine, I just wish it wasn't anywhere near _you_."

Kaname's fingers twitched dangerously as he spun away from the window to face Zero. "Ah. If my proximity is as distasteful as you say, perhaps you would care to explain why you seem to find my room fascinating enough to explore without my presence or permission?"

_Shit. _

Zero hesitated for only a split second, but it was more than long enough to cement his guilt. Still, he figured he might as well try.

"I don't know what you're talking about. As if I would go in there willingly…"

"Denial is pointless. You no doubt noticed that I do not lock my doors. At first glance, that may seem an overconfident habit, but I assure you it is merely the bait in my trap. Pureblood senses are far keener than you can imagine. Your scent is everywhere – fresh, no more than an hour old. You searched the study area first, the desk, the cabinet and then the lounge, where you picked up a book from the side table. The closet was next… should I continue?"

Zero had been caught between trying to remain defiant and betraying his wonder at just how keen the pureblood's senses must be to have known everywhere he'd been. When the closet was mentioned, a faint flush had crept into his cheeks at the thought of where his search had led him. It was obvious that Kuran was already aware of the exact extent of Zero's offense and was now spoiling for a fight. Well he had come to the right place.

"Fine, I went in there!" Zero snapped, deciding he was tired of this game. "You have something of mine and I want it back."

"Yes, I am sure you do. Unfortunately, I cannot place such a powerful weapon in the hands of an unstable individual. I have a duty to protect the students of the Night Class."

"Those 'students' are nothing but stuck-up leeches like you! You just don't like the idea that I would be able to fight back!"

"Perhaps," the pureblood conceded, giving a barely perceptible shrug while watching the hunter's reactions. The other boy's eyes took on such a wonderful shade when he was upset; a flinty grey shot through with violet sparks. He felt like pushing the ex-human even further, wanting to see scarlet fire in those rebellious orbs. "But even if that is the case, there is not much you can do about it."

Zero's jaw clenched at the casually cutting words. He knew it was essentially futile to engage Kuran right now, unarmed and with Kuran's whole host of loyal nobles just a few steps away no less. He had not forgotten about the lariat either - the memories of the older vampire using it against him were all too fresh and clear - but he was itching to do _something_ besides standing here and being mocked. As far as Zero knew, Kaname had to have him in sight in order to use the lariat. Perhaps if he could move fast enough, he could jump out of the window behind the pureblood. It would not stop Kuran from coming after him, but it might buy him enough time to make a clean getaway.

Something in his stance or expression must have given his thoughts away, since Kaname turned a knowing look on him.

"I would not suggest running, Kiriyu. Chasing things tends to make me… _angry_."

There was a crimson sheen in the pureblood's dark eyes, a spark of malicious intent very like the one Zero had noticed during their altercation earlier that evening. The hunter realized he was on thin ice right now. If Kuran truly decided to punish him for intruding on his privacy, there would be nothing Zero could do except take the hit. He didn't know if he would get out of such retribution alive; but he would do his hunter lineage proud and not go down without a fight. He shifted slightly, widening his stance and improving his balance just in case Kuran did decide to attack, making sure not to take his eyes off the pureblood.

Kaname longed to pounce, to exact vengeance for the wrongs against him. He found himself feeling almost feverish, a red haze descending on his vision. At that moment though, he locked eyes with the other vampire. He saw defiance in those orbs, yes, and stubborn pride… but also fear. Those furious eyes were but masks, hiding the fact that deep down Zero was terrified right now – terrified of _him_. A memory flashed into Kaname's mind… Yuuki's wide, frightened eyes as she peeked around the door and found him feeding greedily on Ruka's blood. A familiar surge of guilt brought Kaname up short and he dropped his gaze, feeling both frustrated and ashamed. He'd let his anger get the better of him _again_. Why was Zero the only one who could push him so quickly past the limits of reason? Not having a satisfying answer to that perplexing conundrum, Kaname decided it would be best to take his leave.

The pureblood was drawing breath to speak – to tell Zero not to test his patience, but that he would be lenient this time – when it happened. Zero took advantage of Kaname's diverted gaze to make a break for the window after all. He had to get past Kaname to do it, but moving at vampire speed, he reckoned he could make it. Vampire speed was not _pureblood_ speed, however. Faster than thought, Kaname lashed out, intending to arrest Zero's progress with a firm hand to the chest. Unfortunately, Kaname had been taken slightly unawares, and his timing was off. Instead of landing safely on Zero's chest, his hand caught the hunter's upper arm, just under the shoulder. Zero had gained too much speed to be halted completely, and his arm twisted harshly as his momentum carried him halfway past the brunette. The strain on his shoulder was too much. A sudden wrenching, tearing sensation shot a sharp pain all the way down to his fingers before Zero felt the dull pop of his shoulder joint pulling out of its socket, another red-hot flare of agony searing through his nerves. He gave a stifled cry, almost blacking out, but held onto consciousness with grim determination. If he passed out now, in the presence of a murderous pureblood, he knew he might never wake again.

Kaname had frozen, his hand still gripping Zero's arm, feeling the pained tremors run through the muscles beneath his palm. His stomach turned to ice as the reality of the situation sunk in, a whole new abyss of guilt opening in his chest, threatening to rob him of breath. _Oh God…_ _no!_ This… this wasn't supposed to happen! He'd only meant to delay Kiriyu long enough to talk, not… not _hurt_ him! He looked to the silver-haired vampire in wide-eyed shock, trying to think of something to say – some way to start apologizing for the terrible thing he'd just done – but words failed him when he met the hunter's gaze. The stark fear and overwhelming hatred swimming in those steely heliotrope orbs spoke louder than words ever could.

_You're nothing but a monster._

And in that moment, Kaname very much feared it was the truth.


End file.
